Means for installing the recuperating-springs in guns having recoil-barrels.



N0L-7n,8|4. A G Patented out. 2|, |902.

lo. BEHNKE.

MEANS FDR INSTALLING THI': BECUPERATING SPRINGS IN GUNS HAVING l RECOIL BRRELS.

Application filed Feb. 24, 1902.)

(No Model.)

.N .ME

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

oT'ro EEIINKE, y0F ESSEN, GERMANY, AssIGNoR To FRIED. KRUPP, or

ESSEN, GERMANY.-

MEANS FOR INSTALLlNG .RECUPERATlNG-SPRINGS lN `GUNS HAVING lR|C||.-BARRIELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part OfLetters :Patent N o. 711,8'14, dated October 21, 192.

Application filed February 24, 1,902. Serial No. 95,370. (No modeh) I 1bn/,ZZ uff/wm, it may concern:

Beit known that I, OTTO BEHNKE, engineer, residingat 36 Bismarckstrasse, Essen-on-.the- Ruhr, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements` in Means for In# stalling the Recuperating-Springs in Guns Having Recoil-Barrels, of which the following is a specification.

The subject of the present inventionvconsists of a means forinstalling the recuperatv ing-springs in guns having recoil-barrels.

Heretofore recuperator-sprngs have been installed either by means of a tension device which has been withdrawn'frem the gun after the springwas in place, thus vnecessitatlng its separate transportation, or else a sin.

. gle continnaus tension-screw was employed,

which remainedin position in 'the gun; vbut the employment of the latter means is obviously impracticable in those casesA in which therecuperator-'spring 'has great expansive scope, owngto the necessity of having thev compressing-screw proportionally long, and the consequent diiculty of inclosing it.

The invention has forits object to avoid the lastnamed difficulty and to afford a means for installing the spring whichshallpossess but a short length' after the location of the spring is effected and which at the same'time ment shown in the accompanying drawings,

admits of employing a recuperator-spring of pro'portionallylarge expansion. This object is attained through the introduction of a collapsible device, preferably a telescoping screw, between the gun-barrel and the movable abutment of the recuperator-spring.

The invention is illustrated .by the embodiin which- Figure 1 is a side view, partly in vertical longitudinalrsection, of the parts of a gun which are taken into consideration, showing the means for installing the recuperatorspring in position as it commences to put the spring under tension. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the operation of installing the spring completed. Fig. 3 is a section, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 2,

looking from the left.

The gun-barrel is guided upon a -slide or cradle in a well-known manner, which slide or cradle likewise carries a hydraulic brake,

as Well as the recuperator-spring E and telescoping screw K L for reducing said spring. The hydraulic brake is likewise of well-known construction. The rod c of its piston C car- 'ries ahead D, which serves to secure the pisdles K and L, formed with two oppositelypitched externalscrew-threads of approxi mately equal length.'v The outer spindle K, is adapted to engage in a female thread ef the extension. lI of the brake-cylinder. v At its endv next the breech of the gun it has a conical portion 7c', for which a corresponding conical depression is formed in theextension of the brake-cylinder H. Inv they inner wall of spindle K are cut two diametrically opposite longitudinal grooves k. The spindle L engages in a female thread inthe spindle K and is b y suitable means tixedly attachedto the horn N of the gun-barrel. A

Within the spindle L is a rotatable rod M, which carries on its head R, lying toward the gnn-muzzlatwo lateral projections 1. These projections engage in the longitudinal grooves ,k of the outer spindle K. I The other end, m,

of rod M, which projects beyond the nut S, is formedd angular and 'carries a removable hand-crank A The' instalment of therecuperating-spring is accomplished as follows: After the spring E is passed' over the brake-cylinder B and its extension H these parts are shoved into the cradle from the muzzle end of the gun until the spring seats against the arresting-.stop F and the outerspindle'can 'enter into engagement with the female thread of the extension H of the brake-cylinder. Then the crank P, and through it .the rod M, is turned in such a direction that the onterspindle K,'which is turned by the engagement in its grooves 7a of the projections r on vrod-head. R, is screwed into theextension II onthe brake-cylinder.

By this rotation the'spindle K simultaneously screws itself upon the innerspindleL. The turningr of the crank is continued until the enlargement 7.a impin'ges the shoulderl on the one hand and comes to re'st'against the end of the brake-cylinder extension on the other hand. 'lhe outer spindle is then fully screwed up upon the inner spindle and Within the4 brake-cylinder extension, so thaty the tele# scoped assembling-screw is only about onehalf its previous length, whichcorresponded to the expansion of the spring. At the same time it will he observed that the connection between the gun-barreland the brake-cylin der or its extensionris established by the telescopingr 'sci-ew. Finally it is, to be noted that the head D-of the piston-rod c is secured to .and the movable stop of the recuperating spring.

2. A means for installing' recuperatingsprings of recoil-guns, cornprisinga {inidpressure brake, havinga cylinder carrying,r an' abutting stop G, and an extension H, a recuf perating-spring surrounding said cylinder, anda telescoping screw interposed between with the brake-cylinder; of the reeuperatingk spring surrounding the cylinder of said hydraulic brake and abutting between said fixed and movable stops, and a telescoping screw interposed between the gun-barrel'and the brake-cylinder, the inner portion screwing into the outer portion, and said outer portion screwing into 4the brake-cylinder. 4. In a means for installing recuperatingsprings in recoil-guns, the combination with a hydraulic brake having an extension on the brake-cylinder, and an abutment; and a re-V turn-spring; of a telescoping screw having oppositely pitched threads, one ol' 4which parts is rotatable on the other and is in thread-v ed engagement with the cylinder extension, and the otherl fixedly attached to the gun; anda crank-rod extending through said tele scoping screw and having connection through which it turns the rotating part of thescrew. 5. In a collapsible means for installing rccuperating-springs in recoil-guns, a telescoping screw formedv of a plurality' of parts threaded together and with a part at one end threaded to anabutment of the spring. l

In testimonywhereoi" I have hereunto set my hand inthe presence of two subscribing; witnesses .o'r'ro Brunnen,v 1

Witnesses:

WILLIAM ESSEN wEiN, VPETER LIEBER. 

